Time In The Window
by Tw1st3d x L0v3
Summary: For the Bexxyy's Paul Imprint Contest. Paul has seen an unknown girl throughout his entire life. But when he meets her for the first time, what exactly has made his entire additude towards imprinting change.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:  
****This is for Bexxyy's Paul Imprint Contest.  
****Title: ****Time in the Window  
****Author: Tw1st3d x L0v3  
****Rating: T for Language  
****Pairing: PaulxBella  
Words: 2515****  
****Disclaimer**: _I don't own Twilight. The characters in this story are not owned by me. All credit goes to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. Only the plot belongs to me._

* * *

**Time in the Window  
**"**That's What You Get – Paramore"**

Charlie Swan was ecstatic when he married his high school sweetheart. It was rare that anyone on the La Push Reservation married someone straight after high school. Usually they would go off to school anywhere in the world, move back to La Push, get married, and continue the traditions. Charlie first met Renée Higgenbotham when they were in their first grade class together. Renée was being picked on by other boys but Charlie stepped in to help her. They'd been together ever since. They moved into a house that was in the middle of the Reservation, made it easier for Charlie to respond to problems. Everyone knew where they lived because everyone had to pass it to go anywhere. A few months after their marriage, they announced that Renée was pregnant. As the nine months went by, they took all measures to have a perfect pregnancy. Renée attended the classes with the other soon-to-be mothers while Charlie talked with the other men. Kassandra and Joshua had already had Sam three years earlier. Maria & Michael were having Paul and Jesse & Miranda were having Jared. It was rare for a Quileute firstborn to not be a male child. There has been only one recorded first born female in all of the written and verbal Quileute records. But everyone found it odd that Charlie and Renée never announced what the sex of the child they were having was. When Maria, Renée, and Miranda went into labor around the same time, the reservation was not surprised. But what did surprise them was that never once did they see the child of Charlie and Renée. All they know is that Renée went into the hospital after her water broke and left a week later with Charlie. Not once did anyone see them carrying anything baby related. But they never did look sad so people knew the baby hadn't died. A few years after the baby incident, Renée divorced Charlie and moved to Phoenix. It made people wonder.

**xxxx**

_Paul. Age 7._

Jared, the other boys, and I were running as Sam counted to 20. I stumbled over a rock as I ran in the direction of Chief Swan's house. He wasn't home so I wouldn't be scolded for using his yard to hide in again. I ducked behind the trees near the front door while listening to see if Sam was coming this way. I raised my head when I heard him say "20! Ready or not, here I come!" before quickly ducking back down. As I hid in the bushes, I thought I heard a faint tapping sound. _Strange_. I glanced around to see if there was anything around me but there wasn't. Then the sound got louder. I stood up fully and looked at Chief Swan's house. There, in the window, was a person. She looked to be my age but there was something about her. Her honey colored skin was like mine, with her hair black as midnight with slight blue highlights. I had never seen her before. I started to head in her direction but was stopped.

"Found you Paul!"  
"Not cool Sammy."

I had turned to face Sam when he yelled at me but when I turned back to look at the house, the window was empty. I wanted to meet that girl. She was unfamiliar.

**xxxx**

_Paul. Age 10._

Jared and I walked home from school together since our families lived right next door to each other. The two have us have always done everything together since we were only born a few days apart. We talked about our homework for the evening while we headed home. When we were passing Chief Swan's house, Kassandra, Sam's mom, stopped Jared to talk to him. I looked around while they were talking and noticed a shadow in the window of Chief Swan's house. It was the same shape as the girl I saw 3 years earlier. I turned towards the house and began walking. But as I moved forward, the curtains quickly swung back into place and the Chief's car roared up the driveway. I quickly moved back onto the path to avoid being run over and stood, still watching. The moment that the Chief's car pulled to a stop and turned off, he jumped out and hurried into the house. It was quite odd the way he was in such a rush. When he finally went into the house, I noticed that he glanced around. _Very Strange._

"Paul! Watcha staring at?"  
"Nothing. Just thought I saw something."

We continued walking home, with Jared talking and me still wondering about that girl.

**xxxx**

_Paul. Age 15._

"Finally!"  
"We can get our permits!"

Jared and I celebrated as we walked our way to the DMV. We were both going to get our permits today so that we would have our licenses by Sophomore year. We were going to be the first ones in our grade that would have our permits due to the fact that we were the oldest. After we finished with the tests, we headed to the ice cream parlor that was close to our houses. As we walked, we talked about what kind of cars we wanted to get. I was all for getting a Kawasaki ZX14 and he wanted a Ford 1500 truck. As we sat under an umbrella in front of the parlor, I saw a black haired girl walking with a hoodie pulled up, covering her face. But I had never seen this girl before. She wasn't at our school and it was hard to go unnoticed in such a small town. She walked into the DMV and exited 15 minutes later. She walked back in the direction she came from before getting into Chief Swan's car. _I wonder…_ Maybe she's the one I keep seeing in the window of his house. Chief Swan drove quickly back in the direction of his house. Jared didn't seem to notice this going on as he continued to describe the exact specifications that he wanted. _I wanted to know about that girl._

**xxxx**

_Paul. Age 18._

I sighed as I finished patrol that evening. It sucks to finish patrol around 2 in the morning when you have to be up at 7 for school. I ran back to my house, passing Sam as he got ready to start his own patrol.

'_You complain too much Paul'  
_'_Oh leave me alone Sam, you're lucky because you have the day off.'_

Reaching my house, I fell into an instant sleep the moment I touched my bed. When I woke up, I looked at the clock to see that it was 7:30. _Crap._ I was running late. I quickly got up and did my morning ritual before rushing out of the house towards my bike. I had gotten my dream bike from 3 years ago. I stuck my helmet on my head and drove down the street. But as I passed Chief Swan's house, I noticed there sat a black Dodge Ram 3500 in the driveway. I laughed because Jared was going to be so jealous when he saw that. As I continued past the driveway, I saw the black haired girl leaving the house and getting into the truck. I almost slammed on the brakes to finally talk to the girl but she pulled out of the driveway quickly and headed towards the school. I followed her, staying directly behind her as she drove. Pulling into the lot, I parked my bike next to Jared's truck, laughing when I saw his face.

"Not cool. Who's driving it?"  
"No idea. But I know it's a girl."

We both watched as the girl got out and headed into the administration building. While I got last night's homework from Jared, Kim walked over to greet him. Imprints. I was pretty sure that I was never going to imprint. I didn't have the temper for that shit, nor did I have the patience. No one would be able to handle me, and I didn't want to worry about the well-being of another person. I couldn't see myself being attached to someone for the rest of my life. As the rest of the pack arrived at school, they all parked in the adjacent spots next to Jared and me. We had the same parking spots everyday so it was pretty much routine. I told the pups what the new patrol schedule was for the week as I watched the girl from over Jacob's shoulder. I knew Quil would be upset because he was going to see Claire less but I couldn't change that, he'd have to talk to Sam about it. We listened to the bell ring and I told the pups that we would see them at lunch as we all headed to our first periods. Jared and I shared Art together with Ms. Davis as our teacher. I smirked as I saw the mysterious girl walking in front of us. I want to know who she is. It seems that every time I saw her, wasn't long enough for me to find out who she is. It bothered me. Sitting in the back of the classroom, I sighed as I thought about the imprint business. It was so strange, to be forced to have your world linked to another person, who had no idea that the supernatural world exists. I mean, I would like if, if, I had an imprint for her to know and understand the different world. I mean, Kim almost didn't believe Jared when he told her about wolves and vampires. I'm pretty sure she was close to smacking him if he hadn't of phased when he did. Just as the late bell was about to ring, the girl entered the room, tripping over the step. Jared and I laughed quietly as she fumbled to stand up correctly. She did a quick glare in our direction but we both ducked our heads just as she began facing us. I didn't feel like getting yelled at by a girl today. The teacher put her at the table in the front of the classroom and began class. Throughout the period, my eyes returned to her every so often. I still didn't know her name and the teacher hadn't even introduced her. _Very odd…_ When the class bell rang, I stood up and went to exit the same time she did, directly knocking into her. What surprised me was that she didn't fall completely over. If we bump into a human, they fall straight over because of what we are and how strong we are. I helped her collect the fallen books and just as I handed her the psychology book, I looked directly at her eyes and froze.

_Oh my. She's fucking beautiful. How have I gone this long without knowing her? I've never met someone that has affected me this way. She's my air, my heart, my world. Her gorgeous jade eyes and flowing black hair. Just simply fucking amazing. I had to protect her from everyone. She'll never be hurt or sad. I had to make sure she was always happy otherwise my heart would bleed for her. But what if she doesn't love me like I her? How will I go on? She is my life and I will be hers._

I noticed though, while I stared at her, that she stared right back. Her eyes went from a glare to an adoring gaze. I understand that imprints feel what we feel but that was one sudden change. All I wanted to do was hold her in my arms and not let her escape. I would be able to protect her from the world and nothing was going to stop me. I just wanted to stare at her and not move.

"Hello. I'm Paul Levi."  
"Bella Swan."

Her voice was like listening to bells. _Wait a minute…_ Swan, as in Charlie Swan? She must be the mysterious child.

"Would you like to sit with me at lunch?"  
"Okay."  
"See you then Bella."  
"Bye Paul."

As she walked away, it felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest. I couldn't handle this pain of being away from her. She was my everything. Jared pretty much moved me around for the next two periods before lunch. When the bell for lunch rang, I practically ran to the lunch room to wait for her. I grabbed a tray with enough food for both her and me and then grabbed a booth near the pack. Just in case I needed help in controlling my phasing. The rest of the pack passed me with wondering expressions on their faces. I knew that Jared would explain it to them for me. But when she walked into the cafeteria, I think my heart stopped. Bella walked towards me and I finally noticed what she was wearing. A simple green long sleeve shirt, skinny jeans, and high top Converses. An outfit she made look gorgeous. She walked forward and sat across from me.

"Hello."  
"Hi."

As we conversed through lunch, I noticed that she had the same woodsy scent that the pack had. The same scent that shape-shifters had. _Odd._ I'll figure that out later. Now I just had to figure out a way to tell her about the pack, imprinting, and our future.

* * *

**After the contest ends, I will be completing. So don't worry guys.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:  
Heyy guys! Voting starts 11/15, today on Bexxyy's profile. You can see it at: **.net/u/1888999/bexxyy**.  
****Please remember to vote. I'll try and post a chapter in the next few days. Thanks so much for our feedback. I almost didn't post this story.  
I'll also have you know that this is pretty much my first time writing in a male  
Disclaimer**: _I don't own Twilight. The characters in this story are not owned by me. All credit goes to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. Only the plot belongs to me._

* * *

**Time in the Window  
****Chapter Two  
****"Hallelujah - Paramore"  
Words: 2355**

After asking Bella what her afternoon schedule was, I found out that we would have all three classes together. As we talked and ate, I had unconsciously moved my left hand forward and slid her right hand into mine. But I did notice that she didn't move hers away. When lunch came to an end, I let go of her hand long enough to get up and to pick up the tray before grabbing it again. She smiled at me before blushing, something that was heard to see because of her tan skin. I emptied the tray into the trash before walking her to the German 5 class with Mr. Baron. I left Bella at the teacher's desk and headed to my own in the far back corner. I knew that Bella would be sitting next to me because I luckily had the only empty desk next to me. I used my heightened senses to listen to the conversation between her and the teacher.

"Wilkommen!Sind Sie der neue Student?"  
"Ja. Ich bin Isabella Swan."  
"Wie viele Jahre haben Sie Deutsch genommen?"  
"Ich begann in der 6. Klasse, so dass dies mein 7. Jahr."  
"Wundervoll! Dann sollten Sie sich nicht zu weit hinter sich."  
"Also, wo soll ich sitzen?  
"Oh! Ja, Sie können sich neben Paul. Er wird Ihnen helfen, ihren Rückstand aufzuholen."  
"Danke."

Bella seemed almost troubled as she hurried to sit next to me. The second our hands rejoined, she looked peaceful, almost serene. _Hmm…I wonder._ It's almost as if she imprinted on me as well. But she can't be a shape-shifter. She's female. I showed her what page the teacher was on before pulling out a spiral bound notebook. I wrote a message before passing it to Bella.

_So, 6 years of German already. Aren't you lucky?  
_**So much. There's only so much German you can take. Especially if you already know French.  
**_How many languages do you know?  
_**Just German, French, and Spanish.  
**_Were you bored or what?  
_**I had a lot of free time as a child.**

I glanced up at her to see a sad expression on her face. I squeezed her hand and her face instantly brightened.

_How come you're only starting school now?  
_**Because of Quiliete history, female firstborns are frowned upon. Haven't you ever wondered why there are barely any in the written records?  
**_Really? I hadn't really ever noticed. What have you been doing for school then?  
_**Mainly homeschooling. I had a high IQ so I never really had to put much effort into anything. I had tutors a few times though.  
**_But why are you only starting now then?  
_**Circumstances came up where I had to come.  
**_Oh. How are you liking it then?  
_**It's pretty much just like being at home. Except here, I'm the shiny new toy.  
**_That sucks. Nobody should treat anyone that way.  
_**As long as they don't touch or act extremely vulgar towards me, it's fine.**

At that moment, the bell rang, ending our conversation. I folded our note and slid it into my German book. I stood and collected my belongings while waiting for Bella to stand. I slid my backpack onto my shoulders before reaching over and taking her bag from her. I slid her shoulder bag over my own and reached for her hand again. We walked hand in hand down the hall to our English 4 Honors class with Mrs. August. When we walked into the classroom, I didn't want to let go of her hand. I couldn't stand even the two minutes that we would be separated. _My heart can't take this kind of shit. Too much pressure to handle._ But I was forced to let go when the teacher sent a questioning look my way. As I walked towards my own seat next to Jared, I felt my heart pulling me towards Bella. Jared had to pretty much hold me in my seat before I ran back up to hold Bella in my arms. I looked to see who was sitting in the seat next to me and smirked inside when I saw that it was the AV kid, Bryan. I sent him a harsh glare and he immediately moved to the empty seat in the front of the classroom. I looked up to see the teacher handing Bella back her signature seat before pointing her to the empty seat. Jared laughed under his breath at the goofy grin that lit up my face when she walked toward me. The second she sat down, our hands were reconnected. My heart beat steadily as the teacher began class.

**xxxx**

When the ending bell rang, I once again waited for Bella to stand, before grabbing her belongings. We talked on our way to the Gym before she realized where we were headed. Her face instantly paled. _Oh no! What's wrong? If there is something wrong, I have to fix it. Everything has to be perfect to match her._

"What's wrong B?"  
"What class are we headed to?"  
"Gym with Coach Dale. Why?"  
"I tend to not do well in any physical activity. In fact, I don't even do well with walking."  
"Why?"  
"I'm really clumsy. Like, I take five steps and trip over three of them."  
"Don't worry B; I'll be here to save you."

She grinned up at me before resuming walking. Getting to the Gym was okay, but the bad part had yet to come. Just when we walked inside with Jared behind us, I realized that I would be forced to separate from Bella when we go into the locker rooms. Bella looked at me before gently sliding her hand out of mine to talk to the Coach. I waited around talking to Jared, watching Bella out of the corner of my eye. Coach signed her paper and then handed her a dressing kit. She spoke to him again and he nodded as he glanced at me. She walked back over to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me over to the bleachers.

"Aren't we going to join class?"  
"Nope. You and I don't have to be a part of class today because you're helping me settle."  
"You're amazing B."  
"Mmm…I know."

We climbed the bleachers still holding hand and moved to the center middle row. I sat first and Bella sat one level below me, in between my legs. This way I could hug her from behind while we conversed. She leaned back into me as I told her stories of my childhood and of the pack. We watched the other students playing volleyball, making me very glad that I wasn't participating in gym today. I had never been good at volleyball either. While talking, I noticed that Jared was speaking softly to Jacob Black and Embry Call. Two others that were a part of the wolf pack. Simultaneously, they looked up at me and smirked. I let out a growl that only they would be able to hear, except when I did growl, Bella shivered in my arms.

"Are you cold?"  
"Nope. I'm good."

I looked down at her once more before continuing to talk to Bella. When the bell rang, I stood first and pulled Bella up to walk in front of me. I helped her down from the bleachers before grabbing her hand again and beginning our walk to our lockers. Getting to the senior locker section, I looked to see where Bella's locker was and smiled when I saw that it was two down from my own. I dropped off my books and wrote a mental note to check with Jared on the homework I missed earlier when I was distracted. I felt the strings that were connecting my heart to Bella's being tugged and looked to see Bella facing me. I reached for her hand and immediately pulled her into a hug. Around me, I could hear the whispers of those around me.

_"I didn't know Paul was dating anyone?"  
__"So, new girl thinks she can just come in and take one of the hottest boys?"  
__"Man, why does Paul get lucky?"  
__"I thought Paul only hung around Sam Uley's gang."  
__"I've never seen her before."_

The whispers didn't matter to me though. As long as I was holding the woman in front of me, everything was going to be ok. _She was my life now._ Before her, my temper always took hold of all rational thought. But today, with her near me, I have barely risked any type if exposure. We walked hand in hand out to our vehicles, which I just realized that my bike was indeed parked next to Bella's truck. She tossed her shoulder bag into the bed before opening the tailgate. Bella pulled my own bag off my shoulders and tossed it into the bed as well. She pulled herself to sit up on the tailgate and patted next to her. I followed suit and pulled myself up, before propping myself against the side. I pulled her towards me so that she was leaning with her back against my chest. We sat there until I faintly heard the sounds of laughter. I cracked an eye open to see the rest of the pack smirking at me. Jared, Jacob, Embry, Quil, Seth, Brady, and Collin were all standing there cackling at me and Bella. I let out a growl and resumed holding Bella.

"So, Paul, are you going to introduce us at less?" _I'm going to kill you Jared.  
_"No. Go away." _Before I bite you during patrol._

I felt a hand reach up and lightly tap my head.

"That wasn't nice Paul."  
"Sorry B." _Why do I still hear those goofs chuckling?_

I glanced up to see them still looking at me. I sighed before speaking.

"B, this is Jared, Jacob, Embry, Quil, Seth, Brady, and Collin. Jared is in our grade. Jacob, Embry, and Quil are juniors. Seth is a sophomore. Collin and Brady are freshman. Now go away."

Bella chuckled lightly into my chest as she waved to them. They slowly dispersed to their own vehicles while I still held Bella.

"What time are you supposed to be home?"  
"I should probably head there soon. My dad should be home soon."  
"Oh. I'm going to miss you B. I'll send you a message tonight."  
"Okay Paul. I'll see you later then. Maybe you should come over for dinner this evening."  
"That sounds good."

We prolonged moving but eventually got out of the truck bed. I kissed her on the cheek before grabbing my bag and walking over to my bike. I pulled my helmet on and got onto my bike, waiting for Bella to begin driving before starting my bike. I drove to my house, passing where Bella had pulled into her own driveway. Pulling into my driveway, I grimaced when I saw a Ford 1500 truck and a Volkswagen Rabbit. _Damn it! Why are the pack here?_ Knowing how my scatterbrained mother is, she probably let them in without telling me. Ugh, this means that I'm going to have to tell Sam and the Elders about me imprinting on Bella. _CRAP!!! Chief Swan is an Elder! I'm going to die…_

* * *

**Wilkommen! Sind Sie der neue Student? - **Welcome! Are you the new student?  
**Ja. Ich bin Isabella Swan. – **Yes. I am Isabella Swan.  
**Wie viele Jahre haben Sie Deutsch genommen? – **How many years have you taken German?  
**Ich begann in der 6. Klasse, so dass dies mein 7. Jahr. - **I started in 6th grade so this begins my 7th year.  
**Wundervoll! Dann sollten Sie sich nicht zu weit hinter sich**** . - **Wonderful! Then you shouldn't be too far behind.  
**Also, wo soll ich sitzen?**** -** So, where should I sit?  
**Oh! Ja, Sie können sich neben Paul. Er wird Ihnen helfen, ihren Rückstand aufzuholen. - **Oh! Yes, you can sit next to Paul. He'll help you catch up.  
**Danke. - **Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:  
****Heyy guys! Voting ended and guess what...  
****I didn't win. But congrats to **imaginarybox** with **_Work for Love.  
_**I'll also have you know that this is pretty much my first time writing in a male POV.  
****I'm so sorry it took me so long to update.  
****Disclaimer**: _I don't own Twilight. The characters in this story are not owned by me. All credit goes to the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. Only the plot belongs to me._

**Time in the Window  
****Chapter Three  
**"**Funhouse – P!nk"  
****Words: 1651**

I grimaced as I walked to my front door. I really didn't want to put up with the pack this afternoon. I was still feeling the euphoria left in me from being in Bella's presence. Except the painful tugging on my heart reminded me that she wasn't here. I stood outside the door when I noticed that I could hear the pack laughing inside. I sighed and opened the door.

**xxxx**

"Paul! If it isn't Mr. Mushy himself. We were just talking about you." _I hate you Jared.  
_"Go home." _Please. Leave me in my Bella-induced bliss.  
_"Don't you remember that there is a tribal meeting this evening? We're supposed to go. They have news for us."  
"Seriously?" _I wanted to call Bella.  
_"Yes, Paul."  
"What time?"  
"Six. We're supposed to have dinner at Chief Swan's house. Sam will be meeting us there." _Sweet. That means I'll see Bella.  
_"Alright then. I'm going upstairs."

I walked up the stairs to my room and tossed my backpack on the floor. Glancing at the clock, I saw that there was still 2 hours before we were supposed to head over to Chief Swan's house. 2 hours until I saw Bella. _Unless…_ I pulled my phone out of my pocket and searched through the contacts. I selected her name before pressing the green button. I waited for it to ring before she picked up.

"_Hello?"  
_"Hey B. It's Paul."  
"_Hey Paul. What's up?"  
_"I was wondering if I could come over early, I mean, only if you want me to. I don't have to…"  
"_Paul. You're rambling."  
_"Sorry."  
"_But yes, you can come over early. I mean, I'd like to see you."  
_"Sweet. I'll be over right away."  
"_Alright then. See you soon."  
_"Bye B."  
"_Bye Paul."_

I hung up my phone and began digging through my closet. There was no way I was going to go see Bella wearing the clothes I had on earlier. Especially if I was going to be seeing her father tonight. I quickly changed into a dark blue polo with light blue baggy jeans that hung low on my hips. I slipped my feet into flip-flops and headed downstairs, grabbing my sweatshirt on the way. I yelled a quick goodbye to the pack as I practically ran out the door to my bike. Starting it right away, I drove down the street.

**xxxx**

_5 minutes later…_

I pulled into Bella's driveway and parked my Ducati next to her truck. I grimaced when I saw Chief Swan's cruiser in the driveway as well. I was hoping to avoid him until the meeting later tonight. Walking up to the front door, I saw the curtains of the front window move. Just when I reached the door, it swung open and I had an armful of coffee skin and black & blue hair. Looking down, I was greeted by jade green eyes.

"Hi" was mumbled into my chest.  
"Hey."

She pulled back so she was standing and I instantly missed her in my arms.

"So, I was thinking, that you could meet my dad…"  
"I already know your dad."  
"But not as my potential dating interest."  
"Ah. Well, if that is what you think is best…"  
"Ok!"

She tugged my arm and pulled me into the house. I knew her house quite well already due to pack meetings, but now it felt as if there was a great weight on my shoulders making me want to leave. I looked around and finally understood where it was coming from. Sitting in the living room was Chief Swan, glaring at me with full force from the couch. I waved weakly hoping to avoid any type of argument of him but flinched when he spoke.

"Have a seat Mr. Levi."

I instantly sat down on the love seat across from him, unable to go against his glare.

"Erm, Hello sir."  
"Mr. Levi, I believe we need to have a discussion. Don't you think?"  
"Of course sir, whatever you say."

I felt Bella sit down on the love seat next to me and glanced over to look at her. She was glaring at her father while reaching her hand out to grab mine. I felt unsure of whether or not we should hold hands in front of her father. I happened to like living, especially since he was still wearing his uniform. Which meant he still had his gun on his waist.

"Daddy" she said, smiling sweetly, "do you really have to do this?"  
"Of course Bells. You're my only daughter. If I don't protect you now, when will I?"  
"You've been doing fine. You don't need to suddenly change because I'm growing up. And you know as well as I do that not much can hurt me" she said, sharing a secret smile with Charlie.  
"Of course dear," Charlie sighed.  
"Just get your threat over with already."  
"Paul, if you do anything to hurt Bells, we'll find out how much pain you can handle" he said as he shot me a glare.  
"Yes sir."

Bella took my hand and pulled me off the couch, leading me upstairs. I glanced back at Charlie to see that he had started to clean his gun. I gulped and followed her up to her room. She flopped onto her bed while I sat down in her desk chair. There was no way I was going to get caught on her bed with her by Charlie. I happen to like my body without bullet holes.

"Hey Paul?"  
"Yeah B?"  
"You're going to the pack meeting tonight, aren't you?"  
"Yeah."  
"Has my dad mentioned that the Elders have news?"  
"A lot actually. The pa–guys all want to know what the news is."

Thinking about it, wouldn't we have seen Bella in the house during all the previous meetings? We never heard her either.

"B?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Are you usually in the house during tribal meetings?"  
"Nope."

I looked over to see her smiling sweetly at me.

"Where do you go?"  
"Daddy lets me go to First Beach during the meetings. It's relaxing to watch the sunset and to smell the salt of the waves."  
"That's pretty cool."

Bella and I spent the time before the meeting just talking. It gave us a chance to learn about each other. We stopped talking when we heard a stampede of feet and laughing.

"I guess the rest of the guys are here."  
"Probably. It's a good thing I cooked earlier then."

As we headed downstairs, I looked at her. She cooks too? I'm so glad she's mine.

"And here they are."

A red tint covered Bella's cheeks as Jake pointed us out. I really was going to take a chunk out of him next time we were patrolling. The rest of the pack was shoveling food into their mouths. I sighed, knowing that's what I looked like when I was eating. I pulled Bella to me and headed to get our own plates.

**xxxx**

We were congregated in the Swan's living room listening to Chief Swan and Billy retell the tribe's legends. As they began the legend of Quileute people descending from wolves, I looked to see Bella's reaction to the story. She was listening intently and seemed interested. Maybe telling her won't be so bad. I should probably listen now.

"…wolves imprint on the other half of their soul. They are tied together and are perfect matches in interests, personality, and physically. They begin the next generations."

Charlie turned to look at me and I knew he was telling me to let Bella know.

"Bella?"  
"Yes Paul?"  
"Um…the legends of us descending from wolves, well, they're true."

She looked at me, and then looked to her father, then back at me.

"Really? That's actually pretty awesome."  
"And as wolves, we do imprint. And…"  
"Yes Paul?"  
"Well, when I first met you this morning, I imprinted on you."

She moved swiftly to sit on my lap and hugged me. I buried my face in her hair and waited. Bella moved her mouth next to my ear and whispered.

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I imprinted on you too."

Then it went black.


End file.
